Braised Beef Cubes with Garlic

Garlic beef cubes served with potato dumplings and spinach, Czech hovězí na česneku dish.

Braised Beef Cubes with Garlic

This is an original Czech recipe for slow-braised beef cubes in garlic sauce. The dish is very popular in the Czech Republic, often served with potato dumplings and stewed spinach.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Beef recipes

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 3

Servings

Calories 389kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

1 ½ pounds beef chuck or round
3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 Tablespoons pork lard (or sunflower/Canola oil)
1 large onion peeled and finely chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
water for stewing the meat

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Cut 1 ½ pounds beef into cubes about 1 inch (3 cm) in size. Peel 1 large onion and chop it finely. Peel and mince 3 cloves garlic.
Season the meat cubes with 1 ½ teaspoons salt and rub them with garlic.
Heat 2 Tablespoons pork lard in a skillet over medium heat and brown the meat. The meat will likely release its juices. Cook until the juices evaporate and the meat cubes turn golden brown. Stir continuously.
Remove the fried meat and fry the onion in the same fat. If it sticks to the bottom, add a tablespoon of water. Use a flat spatula to scrape up the drippings and stir into the onions.
Return the beef cubes to the onions and cover with water so that the meat is half submerged. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to a minimum, and simmer until the beef is tender. Stewing time for beef cubes: 2-3 hours.
At the end of the cooking time, when the meat is soft and tender, remove the lid. If necessary, add a little water. Dust the surface of the stew with 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour through a sieve. Put the lid back on and let the flour steam for 15 minutes over low heat. Do not stir!
Finally, season with salt to taste, stir and serve.

Notes

SERVING: Beef cubes with garlic gravy are best served with potato dumplings and steamed spinach. Garnish the dumplings with fried onion rings for added flavor.
Prepare the beef half an hour in advance. Cut into cubes, mix with salt and garlic and leave to marinate at room temperature. The meat will smell more of garlic.
The trick of dusting the beef with flour will ensure that the juices thicken gently, yet no lumps form. There is no need for a roux either.
You can make this recipe in a slow cooker. I recommend doing the initial step ( frying the meat and onions) in a skillet and then letting it simmer in the slow cooker.

Nutrition